


Lippy Kids

by betweenfactandbreakfast



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lesbians, Alternate Universe - Muggle, F/F, Lesbian AU basically, Rule 63, i live for 70s muggle au, not really though everyone's just a girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-21 08:37:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4822445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betweenfactandbreakfast/pseuds/betweenfactandbreakfast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rebellious rich girl Sirius Black's world is turned upside down when her parents pack her off to reform school, but she soon forms a bond with the quick-witted and openly lesbian James Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gimme Danger Little Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> lyrics by elbow, iggy pop, and lorde ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

_baby be the class clown, I’ll be the beauty queen in tears_

* * *

 

"Oh, fuck _me_!" shouted the girl, slamming the palm of her hand against the door. It didn't make it any less locked. "And fuck you, you horrible old bitch. You miserable old cow! I hope you rot in fucking hell like you deserve, I hope you die, I hope you die die die DIE!" Her voice rose to a shrill scream, she kicked the door once for good measure and she tripped blindly backwards to fall onto her bed, defeated. For now.  

Sid Vicious stared at her from the ceiling, vacant glossy eyes like death. The girl, not breaking eye contact, reached for a pack of Marbs on her bedside table and a silver zippo lighter. She stuck one in her mouth and lit it, fuming both literally and emotionally.

She wasn't given food for a couple days; she lost track of how much time passed exactly. There were some stale chocolate biscuits in one corner of the room. She finished them. She smoked her only pack fairly quickly; it stank in there but she hardly cared. Her records had been thrown out so there was just horrible silence. She thought about her mates, about her boyfriend who she'd probably never see again. Not that he probably cared. He was always tramping around with some ugly slag or another. She hid a razor in her knickers from when they let her go to the loo.

It had been a couple days, she'd scratched profanities into the walls and screamed into her pillow, she'd torn up everything she could that wasn't precious to her, ripped the heads off of the delicate china dolls her Mum had passed down to her, contemplated suicide but realised she needed to be alive to get revenge; and then the door creaked open.

She sat there like a wild thing, hair long and dishevelled and tangled, streaks of blood going down her bare legs and arms, she was a wreck, a ruin when their elderly butler Kreacher entered. He did not care, he was too loyal to her mum, and hated her just as much.

"Here's a ham sandwich," he said, handing her a plate. She took it and scarfed it, heedless of her appearance. "And your uniform. I'm to watch as you put it on, mind, so you don't get it into your head to cut it up like you did the last one. This is a proper school you'll be attending, I hear."

She glared at him with all the spite she could muster. Who was to say there would be no scissors at her new school? She'd find a way. With his beady little eyes on her, she pulled the uniform on; skirt, shirt (she didn't bother tucking it in), tie, vest, blazer. It was ugly, but she expected no less.

"You look a frightful mess, Miss Black," he said gleefully. "Your mother would be ashamed."

She said nothing, stuck her nose up haughty like was in her blood.

"Your things've been packed," he said. She knew he didn't mean the things she truly cared about. Her posters and t-shirts and jeans and records. Her things. What fucking things could have been packed? She was given a few moments in the bathroom, like always, to fix herself and clean up.

"Your mum and dad are here to say goodbye."

She huffed, allowed herself to be escorted to them. Her parents. So fucking snobby and tall and uncaring. Her little brother Regulus was nowhere to be seen.

"Can't I at least say bye to my mates?" She muttered.

"No, you can't." Snapped her mother. "And don't speak like that, you sound like a commoner."

She rolled her eyes mutinously.

"Very well, Sirius, if you have nothing to say, then I suppose this is it," said her father. "This is for your own good, you know."

It always was.

* * *

She sat alone on the bus, at first anyway. The other girls ranged from obnoxious and rowdy to strange and off-putting. Sirius didn't want to talk to or touch any of them.  She tried to disappear into the seat. She tried to scream but couldn't.

"Alright, darlin'?" Said a friendly voice and suddenly somebody was in her space, a messy-haired long-limbed pointy someone. This pointy person had sat by her side, and was now looking at her with a mischievous grin scrawled across her face.

"No, fuck off."

The pointy girl chuckled. She had short-cropped messy black hair and glasses. Her skirt looked suspiciously short. It was probably rolled up. "Whoof. Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed today. What's wrong, love?"

"Shove off," Sirius said, without much fire.

"Let me guess," The pointy girl said. "You don't want to be here."

"In a nutshell, yeah."

"Nobody does." She said. "I'm James, by the way. You're new, right? I know everyone and I don't know you."

"Yeah, I'm Sirius." Sirius eyed the girl, hostility receding. Maybe this James girl was alright.

"So, how'd you end up at the old Hog? Everyone's got a story. Mulcie over there burnt down a building. Fuckin' brilliant, eh?"

"I didn't do anything," Sirius said honestly.

"Rubbish, everyone's got something that pushed their mum and dad past the limits."

"We just hate each other," Sirius said. "We don't get along and I don't behave so they sent me here."

"They must really hate you to shell out this much dosh. It's not cheap." James said.

Sirius shrugged moodily. "What about you? Do your parents hate you?"

"What? Oh, no, they love me. They send me here cos I'm a bloody muff muncher, is all. And they think surrounding me with nothing but girls year round is going to solve that issue. I'm not complaining." James stretched her arms above her head.

"You're a dyke?" Sirius said, warily. "I don't want you making a pass at me."

"Christ— relax, princess," James said with an easy laugh. "You're fit but not that fit."

Sirius felt a little jolt of dissatisfaction; nobody had ever told her she was "not that fit" before.

"So, Sirius, what sorts of things do you like?"

"Music," Sirius said. "I love the Clash, and—"

"'Course you do." James said. "Yeah, I was into that for a while. They don't let us listen to ‘disruptive music’ at school though." She made air quotes.

"Ugh," Sirius said. "That's shit."

"Innit," James said with a shrug. "There's other stuff to do though. I'll show you if you like."

"Alright," Sirius agreed.

They chatted about meaningless stuff, played a round of cards, shared chewing gum, whiled away the long journey. Sirius found herself enjoying the company of James Potter, as she was formally known. She was a refreshing sort of person. Sirius had never met anyone like her.

The scrunch of tyres on gravel indicated their arrival, and two by two the girls filed out and Sirius got her first glimpse of Hogsmeade Reform Academy for Troubled Girls. It was a depressingly stately building, decorated with ivy and gargoyles. Sirius loathed it, but she did not loathe the feeling of James's shoulder at hers, she did not loathe that at all.

The girls milled around in the yard while they waited. James, clutching her arm, steered her around to the front.

"Oh, my, if it isn't Sniverella and Little Lady Longstockings. Glad to see you two bitches are still here." James sneered as they stopped in front of two girls. One was pretty and ginger and looked a little too proper for the likes of this place, the other awkward and pimply and greasy. The greasy one gave Sirius a calculating stare.

"Leave us alone, Potter," Ginger said snootily. She clutched the greasy one's arm, defiantly mirroring James and Sirius.

"Who the fuck are you s’posed to be?" Greasy snapped at Sirius.

"Why don't you wash your fucking hair before you talk to me?" Sirius returned. She had picked up the cue that these girls and James didn't like each other, and she already knew with certainty where her loyalties lay.

James laughed, a cruel clear sound that stirred Sirius's heart. The Greasy One turned a curious shade of yellow-y purple.

"I see you've found a friend who's just as nasty as you are, James," Ginger sniffed. "Well I'm happy for you. Come on, Sev, we don't need this."

"You're right." Greasy said with a derisive sneer, and they pointedly walked away a couple paces to where they could no longer be said to be standing next to James and Sirius.

"What was all that about?" Sirius asked James. Someone was crossing the yard to get to them. Already the girls were forming some sort of rank and file.

"Pair of cunts who think they're better than the rest of us because they didn't actually ever get in trouble," James shrugged. "I'll explain it later, that's McG coming, that is." And she tugged Sirius into position.

McG, revealed to be a tall, stern looking woman in a grey pantsuit, stopped in front of them and cast a vaguely disapproving eye over the crowd. "Alright, girls. Settle down. My name, as many of you know, is Minerva McGonagall. I am your deputy headmistress. Raise your hand and say 'present' when your name is called."

And she started a long list of names. Sirius raised her hand and said 'present' when called. Ginger turned out to be called Lily Evans. James said 'Yeah,' instead of 'present' and McGonagall paused to glare at her for a solid minute. Greasy turned out to be called Severus Snape, an ugly name if Sirius had ever heard one.

After roll call was done, McGonagall said "Sirius Black?" again sharply, and Sirius, after a nod from James, stepped forward.

"Accompany me to the headmaster's office, if you please, Miss Black. There's some things to go over before your first term here begins."

"Alright," Sirius said sullenly.

"Excuse me?" McGonagall said sharply. "You will address all teachers here with the proper respect."

"Sorry. Ma'am." Sirius amended reluctantly.

"Better. Follow me. And do keep up."

Sirius hurried after her long strides, across the yard into a courtyard up some stairs. They stopped at a wooden door, which McGonagall knocked on and then open, pushing Sirius inside and closing it after her.

Sirius looked around, intimidated. The office was circular, filled with musty portraits of old people she didn't care about. There was also a lot of shiny paraphernalia taking up space and collecting dust. It was a bit suffocating.

"Have a seat, please, Miss Black,"

Sirius started, not having seen the tall, bearded man in the corner. She sat at the desk, and he sat across from her.

"I'd like to start by saying welcome to Hogsmeade Academy, Miss Black." The Headmaster began. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I'd like to make your time here as rewarding and enjoyable as possible."

"Fat chance," Sirius said before she could stop herself.

He chuckled. "I am well aware many of our students feel that way when they begin here. However, most of them acclimate and soon find a home of sorts here. I'm sure the same will be true for you. Now," He took a file folder from a stack. "Here you will find your timetable, your starting packet containing basic information about this facility— including rules— and of course your dormitory assignment."

She opened it. She was in dormitory G1, but that meant nothing to her. "How do I know who's in my dormitory with me?"

"You'll have a chance to meet your roommates later," he said. "For now, I must remind you that we take discipline seriously at Hogsmeade. Any violation of the rules results in a mark, and three such marks results in a detention. Repeated infractions will result in discussions of further punishment. I advise you study those rules carefully so as not to break any inadvertently."

She nodded, not planning on doing anything of the sort.

"Alright. Well, it was lovely to meet you, Miss Black. I suggest you join the other girls for lunch. You must be starved after such a long journey."

She nodded, keen to get away from this room. His twinkly eyes made her uncomfortable. Like they could see straight through you.

He dismissed her with a final smile, turning his attention to paperwork- and she got to her feet, closing the file and tucking it under her arm. "Uh, 'scuse me, where's the dining hall?"

"Down the stairs you came up, through the door on the opposite side of the courtyard." He said, not looking up from his paperwork. "Good day, Miss Black."

She clutched the file folder to her chest as she walked, head bowed. While she'd been in the office a light rain had started. She could see the dining hall through the frosty windows. The shapes of girls laughing and talking and eating swirled within.

She pulled open the door. The heads closest to her turned to stare as if affronted by her presence. She glared back at them all, until-

"Hey, Sirius!" James had hurried up to her, poking her on the elbow. "Come and have a seat with us, then?"

"Yeah, alright." She agreed, and followed James to the northernmost table.

"Budge up a bit," James said to her friends. "This is Sirius, gang. I found her on the bus."

"That's how comes you wasn't sitting with us?" Said a pudgy, mousy girl with brown hair. "Alright there, Sirius? I'm Peter."

"And that's Remus." James added, nodding towards another girl, who was sickly looking and shy.

"Alright?" Said Sirius indifferently. She didn't find these two girls nearly as interesting as James. She sat, pulled a plate towards her. It looked like cauliflower cheese, something she hated. She poured a little bit of the lumpy stuff onto her plate and poked at it gingerly.

"So, d'you get your timetable and things?" Sirius nodded. "Let's have a look then?" Sirius passed it to her, and James opened it eagerly.

"I fuckin' knew it! After Kimberly left, there was an open spot in G1." James grinned. "Looks like she's with us, girls."

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. She had hoped to be placed with James.

"And all of G1 shares the same timetable, so we'll be spending lots of time together this year." James grinned at her. "So, tell us about home, Sirius?"

"I'm from London. Islington."

"Ooh. Posh." James turned to her friends. "She likes punk, Sirius does."

"Cool!" Peter squeaked. "Which bands do you like, Sirius?"

"None that you'd know." Sirius said.

"You haven't got to be so rude about it." Mild-mannered Remus spoke for the first time.

Sirius answered her with a shrug. "It's true though, innit?"

"Yeah… I don't really know any punk to be honest." Admitted Peter. "You could write them down for me, and I'll listen to them on holidays?"

"Yeah, alright, maybe." Sirius said, shifting in her seat. "So, what about you lot?"

"'M from Sussex," James said. "So's Peter. Remus is from Wales. But we all became inseparable as soon as we met."

"Oh, alright," Sirius said. "Christ, I'd murder for a fag right about now. We're probably not allowed, eh?"

"Not even a little." James said with a rueful grin. "We find a way though. You finished eating?"

"Yeah," Sirius said, pushing her practically untouched plate away.

"Great, let's get out of here." James said, pulling her by the hand. "Hey, you two— meet in the dormitories half past six? With the stuff?"

"Yeah, alright," Remus said softly, looking down at her plate.

James pulled her in a half-run half-walk out of the dining hall, through the courtyard and around the back of the school. They trekked down a grassy slope to some empty sheds. The ground nearby was littered with cigarette butts. They cleared a little space and sat with their backs against the shed wall. James's leg was twitching madly and it kept knocking into Sirius's.

"Now these are solid gold 'round here, mind you, it means a lot I'm sharing mine with you," James said, handing her a cigarette from her pack of Rothmans.

"Cheers," Sirius said, taking it gratefully. She lit it with James's proffered lighter, took a deep drag and relaxed.

"So, tell me, honestly." James said. "What do you think of the Hog so far?"

"Well, you're not half bad," Sirius said. "Not sure about the rest of it."

"That's fair," James replied. "Me and my mates are the only good things to happen to this place, anyway. But I like it here. Beats disappointing your parents at home."

"You can say that again," Sirius said, with a laugh.

"Do you like poetry?" James said suddenly.

"Can't say that I do." Sirius said.

"I'll show you my favourites. I think you will." James promised, and because it was James who said it Sirius believed it. "Listen, you'll be alright here I reckon. Just don't get tangled up with Mulcie and her lot. They're bad news, I don't mind telling you."

"Is that the girl who burnt down a building?"

"That's the one, yeah." James frowned. "She's proper batty, though, so watch out."

Sirius nodded, exhaling a plume of smoke. "So what's the story with Ginger and Greasy?"

"You mean Evans and Snape?" James made a little 'tch' noise with her tongue. "Ugh. Them. They're here on some special conditions or something. I think it's a temporary transfer from their real school. Point is, they didn't do anything bad and they have a strong need for everyone else to know it. Evans is a stuck-up bitch, but Snape's the real problem. Or maybe she's just not as fit, so I can't tell. There's just something slimy about her, know what I mean?"

"Is it her hair?" Sirius joked.

James laughed. "It's revolting, innit? I wonder if she knows we've got showers." They laughed together for a while, and it was nice. Then James said; "Got a boyfriend at home?"

"Yeah," Sirius said with a shrug. She'd almost not thought about Paul the whole day. It was funny. He didn't exactly leave the hole in her heart she'd once thought he would. "Not really that fussed about leaving him, though. What about you, got a… girlfriend?"

"Christ, no, I don't do girlfriends." James said. "Too much work, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I s'pose," Sirius said, wondering if she'd been too much work for Paul. James misinterpreted her quiet as discomfort.

"You should get used to it, there's a fair amount of lezzies sent here," James said. "And as for the rest it's that or try to seduce one of the teachers, but between you and me that never works as well as you think it will. I've no tits to speak of so some girls reckon I'm the closest they'll get to a boy here, funnily enough."

Sirius grinned. "What about in the village? There must be boys who live there."

"Oh yeah, loads, but you're mad if you think the teachers aren't watching you like hawks during village visitation weekends." James said. "Of course, they're still allowed to jeer at _us_. And believe it or not you still get a bloody mark for socking them."

"You socked one?" Sirius said disbelievingly.

"Yeah," James said. "He was more shocked than anything. But I'm tougher than I look. Here, feel that." She flexed her bicep and held it out for Sirius to feel. Sirius did, and concluded that James was indeed pretty strong for a skinny girl.  "I'm a whiz at field hockey." She explained.

"Oh," Sirius said. "I never played that in school."

"You'll learn, it's easy. We do it for P.E. on Wednesdays," James replied. "And we've got a team as well, I'm on it actually."

"Any good?

"We do alright," James said with a shrug. "Can't really compete with some of them bigger schools, but you know."

Sirius flicked ash into the ground, examining the burning end of her cigarette. "What else do you do for fun 'round here? Sounds like it gets a bit boring."

"It does, occasionally," James said, then grinned. "But there's always trouble to be stirred up."

* * *

At quarter past James took her to the G1 dormitory, which was the topmost of the G series of dormitories. The room was comfortable, circular, with six separate spaces for students- each including a bed, desk, and wardrobe.

"This is yours." James said. "Used to be a girl called Kimberly, but she left I s'pose. I'm here, then there's Peter, Remus on the other side, and big surprise— Evans and Sniverella in the other two."

"Bloody brilliant." Sirius said.

"Yeah," James agreed. "Evans is a stickler for the law as well. She's dorm head so we all have to make sure never to listen to her."

"Alright, I won't." Sirius said, amused.

There was the sound of laughter, and then the door opened, and Snape and Evans entered. Their eyes narrowed with dislike at the sight of Sirius.

"What's she doing here?" Evans said.

"I live here." Sirius replied smugly.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be joking!" She exclaimed. "I'm filing a complaint."

"I'll file one back," Sirius snapped, unwilling to let this bitch part her from James. "I'd like to live with people who actually have a sense of personal hygiene, know what I mean?"

"Seconded," James said. "But look, Evans, there's no way your complaint is going through and you know it. You two just keep to your side and we'll keep to ours. Alright?"

"Fine," she said.

"Although if you'd like to come over to my side sometime I wouldn't mind—" James said suggestively, then laughed as she turned beet red.

"Shut up!" Snape spat, grinding her teeth together. "She's not like you, leave her alone!"

"Ooer, someone sounds jealous," remarked James.

"I'm not like that either! You're sick, you are!" Snape said, furiously.

"It's not worth it giving in to her, Sev, let's go." Evans said. And they marched self-righteously from the room.

"Christ, that lez is so into Evans it's painful," James said. "Unfortunately Evans is straighter than her perfect teeth. Still, it's well funny how they both react." She turned to absentmindedly make her bed.

Sirius was thinking, toying with the edge of her crimson bedspread. She'd always been taught being gay was sin. That's what her parents believed, and Sirius had never really thought about it beyond that. But James was alright, James was the only thing alright in this place— what could that mean?

"Where's Remus and Peter?" James said, checking her watch. "I'm not waiting round here forever. We've got things to do."

"We have?"

"Oh yeah, loads." James cocked her head. "Oh, that sounds like them now. Unless it's Snape and Evans again. But I doubt it, after that whole thing they're probably off having a good cry in the loo, sure as eggs is eggs."

Peter burst into the room excitedly, followed by a calmer Remus, now wearing a baggy coat.

"Are we ready?" Peter said.

"You have the stuff?" James said.

"What stuff?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"The stuff for your initiation." James said conspiratorially.

"Yeah, in my pockets." Remus said.

"Brill," James said. "Let's go before it gets curfew."

They trekked down to the edge of the massive forest that swallowed the surrounding countryside, to a spot by the black lake under a willow tree. The sky was darkening already, and the shadows around them were long and blurry.

"Alright," James said. "Sit in a circle, everyone. Remus, get the candles."

They did as she commanded; Remus produced four tall thin candles from his pockets and handed them out. One each.

"Alright, light your candles, everyone," James said, passing around a lighter. When she was satisfied they were all lit, she continued: "Tonight we initiate a new sister into our sacred circle. Sirius Black has been deemed worthy by me, Prongs, to be the newest member of the Marauders."

It didn't seem the time to say anything, so Sirius remained silent. She wanted to ask why James was referring to herself as ‘Prongs’, but that could wait until a less serious moment.

"Do you solemnly swear you're up to no good?" James asked her.

Sirius met her gaze and said, "I do."

"Alright," James said with a nod. "As of now, you're officially a Marauder. Congratulations and that. Blow out your candles." She looked at Sirius, and Sirius looked back.

Maybe it would be alright here, she thought.


	2. All Tomorrow's Parties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics by Halsey & the Velvet Underground. There's some onesided j/l in this chapter I apologise......old habits die hard I guess...

_Would you bleed for me?_  
_Lick it off my lips like you needed me?_  
_Would you sit me on a couch?_  
_With your fingers in my mouth?_  
_You look so cool when you're reading me._

* * *

 Classes began next day, and to Sirius's annoyance they turned out to be rather time consuming. Luckily, she'd always had a fairly easy time with school and nothing was above her level. It would have been dull, had she not had James in every single one of her classes. Whether James was waggling her eyebrows at her across the classroom or they were flicking spitballs at Evans and Snape together or even the little thrill she got when she realised James was as smart as she was, Sirius found she was actually enjoying herself. James was blessed with the ability to make any situation fun, even a situation like history class. She would tilt back on her chair (Professor Binns didn't see or care as he droned on) and stage-whisper (often dirty) jokes about their lecture. Sirius couldn’t tear her gaze away from James most days.

The best class was maths, under the steely gaze of Professor McGonagall. Complex algorithms had always come easily to Sirius, and as for James, if she had cared a little more she might have been a prodigy. Together they were a force to be reckoned with, problems solved themselves as neatly as the interlocking petals of a flower unfurling, and McGonagall seemed torn between being exasperated and impressed. The worst class was etiquette, which Sirius already had a basic grasp on thanks to her parents but wholeheartedly rejected in practise. James despised it too, and that made it slightly more tolerable.

But Wednesdays was P.E., and Sirius was nervous. She wanted badly to impress James with her natural talent at hockey, but obviously she had no idea if she actually had any natural talent. It presented a problem. Wanting to impress someone was strange and unfamiliar and Sirius had no idea how to deal with it.

"What's wrong?" Said Remus. Sirius had stopped by the loo to collect herself before P.E., and hadn't noticed the slim girl enter after her.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Sirius snapped. She was rarely alone with either of the other two girls in James's gang. They were the sorts of people she ordinarily would never have given the time of day, and she struggled to understand why James would. And a part of her seethed with jealousy at the close and long-lasting bond they both had with James. She could never beat them in that regard.

"Is it P.E. you’re worried about?" Remus said. "Don't worry. It's not that bad, really."

Sirius gritted her teeth and tried to get past the fact that Remus fucking glass bones Lupin was telling her P.E. wasn't 'that bad'.

"My first P.E. I was nervous like you," Remus said. One could practically see her trying to reach out and find common ground.

"I'm not like you," Sirius said.

Remus flinched, then steeled herself. "You know, I said to myself I'd give you a chance because James likes you so much, but I see I was wrong. You're just nasty."

Sirius shrugged. She'd only really heard the 'James likes you so much' part of that.  "I've got to go," she said and brushed past Remus to the exit.

* * *

"Finally!" James said loudly as Sirius entered the changing rooms. "Took you bloody long enough. I was waiting, everyone else has gone out already." She was doing up her laces, one foot on the bench, and her skirt was rolled up again. It was nearly impossible not to see her knickers.

"I got lost," Sirius lied, clutching her kit to her chest.

"Alright, well, hurry up." James said. She pulled both her knee socks a little higher up, unbuttoned another button on her sports blouse. "Hooch gets a bit shirty when we're late."

Sirius started taking items out of the hockey kit they'd given her; a pleated skirt, a light blue blouse like the one James wore, boots and socks. She stripped to her underwear, conscious of James's presence, pulled on her hockey kit.

She started rolling up her skirt, but James caught her hand. "Wait, let me do it." And she produced some safety pins from the pocket of her blazer (crumpled in a heap on the bench). "I steal these whenever I can, we're not s'posed to have them on account of girls always cutting themselves and things."

Sirius nodded, strangely aware of her own heartbeat as James knelt in front of her, rolling up her skirt carefully, warm fingers occasionally brushing the bare skin of her stomach.

"There," James said, bouncing to her feet and grinning. "We match." And she took Sirius's arm and they went outside.

Madame Hooch, a no-nonsense woman in a shirt and trousers, approached them.

"Miss Black, I presume?" She said, inspecting her critically. Sirius nodded. "Very well. Do try to be on time next time. Your skirt looks a little small."

"Yeah, they didn't have any in my size, Miss." Sirius said ruefully. She could see James looking amused.

"We'll see about getting you one that fits," Hooch said, accepting this. She raised her voice. "Alright, girls, warm up stretches and then laps!" To Sirius she said. "If you have any questions I'm sure Miss Potter can answer them."

Sirius tried her best to copy James in a series of stretching exercises, then they ran laps. Sirius had a horrible stitch by the end of it all but she ignored it, pushing herself harder than she normally would have.

Then they were allowed a short break and water, during which Remus and Peter joined them. Remus maintained a pointedly cold indifference towards Sirius, which Sirius couldn't possibly care less about.

Then James was pulling her to her feet and then shoving a hockey stick into her hand.

"Alright, let's have a look at your grip then," James said.

Sirius gripped the stick as best she knew how; James gently made a few minor corrections and then nodded and placed a ball before her. "Give it a whack," she instructed, rather unnecessarily.

Sirius did, hard as she could- there was a solid _thunck_ as ball and stick connected and it went soaring several yards.

"Hey, not bad!" James said. She went jogging to collect the ball while Sirius glowed. "You've got a good strong swing. But the trick is finding a balance between power and control. You don't want to overshoot and lose the ball."

"Right," Sirius muttered, annoyed that she wasn't perfect at this on the first try like most things.

They practised a little; Sirius found herself sort of getting the hang of it, but also found it starting to get boring. So she aimed the ball a little differently this time. It smacked Severus Snape right in the gut, keeling her over.

"Oh, dear," Sirius said amusedly. "So sorry, didn't see you there."

Lily Evans glared at her as she helped her friend to her feet. "Madam Hooch?" She called. "Sirius hit Sev with a ball on purpose."

"I didn't, it was an accident, swear it." Sirius said.

"James?" said Hooch.

"Uh," James said, glancing nervously at Lily for some reason. "Accident, yeah, it was an accident."

Hooch nodded. "Very well. Do be more careful aiming, Miss Black. I'm afraid I will have to give you a mark for the day." She said, and breezed away.

Lily fumed. "You two should be ashamed!"

"Uh, of what?"

"I know you hit Sev on purpose." Lily said. "The both of you are nothing but trouble."

"But you like that, right, Evans?" James teased, suddenly okay and James-like again.

"Ugh!" She said, and grabbed Snape and stormed away to a different part of the field.

"Christ, what's her problem anyway?" James said sourly when she was gone.

"She's a stuck up bitch?" Sirius offered.

 James shook herself, grinned. "Guess so. Who cares. You got your first mark! I'm so proud."

“Thanks,” Sirius said smugly, readying her stance again for another swing.

"Wait- don't move. I'm just going to correct your posture." James said, then approached her, pushing her spine into a straighter angle. She pressed her body to Sirius, fixing the slant of her arm. Sirius almost forgot to breathe.

"Relax! Christ, are you always this--" James suddenly realised how close they were and let go of her awkwardly. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine," Sirius said.

James frowned, like she was putting pieces together but didn't have the whole puzzle yet.

They were called in to change, and it was forgotten, mostly. They showered, wrapped themselves in towels and changed back into uniform. Sirius transferred her safety pins to her regular school skirt. James glanced at her new extra couple inches of bare leg appreciatively.

It was lunch after P.E., but James and Sirius dipped out first to have a smoke and discuss politics or philosophy something equally useless.

Then James changed the subject, abruptly, startling Sirius.

"So what do you think about Evans?"

Sirius looked at her, unsure. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can't quite figure her out. It's driving me mental. Like, I hate her but there's just something about her, you know?"

"No," Sirius said. She disliked the way James was talking about Lily Evans. She disliked the fact that James's attention was focused on Lily Evans and her long legs and stupid ginger hair at all.

"Nah, I suppose you wouldn't."

Sirius disliked that also.  "I thought you said she isn't… that she's straight."

James looked at her, askance. "Yeah, so? It's not as if I fancy her. I just get curious that's all."

"Whatever," Sirius said with a shrug, taking a drag from the cigarette they were sharing and boiling with jealousy.

"What's up with you?" James said, elbowing her.

"Nothing. Shall we go? This is done anyways." She stubbed it out and flicked it into the grass.

James frowned bemusedly, but asked no further questions.

* * *

Uniformed girls poured down the hill in clusters or alone, hands in their pockets to avoid the cold.

Sirius was with James and the other Marauders, on her first ever Village Visitation Weekend. Hogsmeade was a tiny little village, especially to London-born Sirius, with only one main street in which small selection shops and pubs were clumped.

"So, where should we go?" James said. She was walking backwards and a red and gold scarf was wrapped around her neck, fluttering in the wind before her.

"Three Broomsticks?" Peter suggested.

"What sort of pub name is that?"

"I don't know," James said with a shrug. "But it's decent. They play music that’s actually younger than a decade."

Sirius nodded.

"There's also the Hog's Head, but it's a bit of a dump. Oh, and Madam Puddifoot's but it's a bit naff."

"Three Broomsticks it is." Sirius said.

They entered the pub, which was crowded with students. Sirius spotted a couple of teachers too, namely the science teacher Slughorn and McGonagall. Fleetwood Mac played somewhere in the background, but it was barely audible.

James chose a table as far away from McGonagall and Slughorn as possible, then said "I'm going up to order drinks, what d'you all fancy?"

Peter said 'coke', Remus a quiet 'just water, thanks', and Sirius said 'a pint'.

James laughed. "Nice try, but Rosmerta knows she's not s'posed to serve us."

"Fine, just a coke, then." Sirius grumbled.

James went to order. Sirius watched her at the bar, leaning forward on her elbows and talking with the pretty barmaid. The barmaid looked faintly and fondly amused as she poured foaming beer into a glass.

"Why are you always staring at James?" Remus said irritably.

"I'm not," snapped Sirius, turning back around quickly. "Why are you always nosing into my business?"

"I'm not." Remus echoed, slightly more convincingly than Sirius had done. "I just think it's weird."

"Not really," Sirius said with a shrug. "I'm bored is all."

Remus rolled her eyes. Sirius was saved having to come up with a nasty reply by the reappearance of James at her elbow.

"Hola, chicas," James said, handing out the drinks and sitting on her stool.

"Hey," Sirius said, annoyance dissipating a little. "Took you long enough."

"Oh, I was just talking to Rosmerta." James said a little dreamily.

"James fancies her." Peter said with a nervous giggle.

"I- alright, it's true. But look at her!"

Sirius didn't because she didn't care. "She's not _that_ fit." She said, a little jealously.

James looked at her, mock-scandalised. "Take that back!"

"No," Sirius said with a grin.

"Ooh, you're a dead woman, Black. I must defend my lady's honour." James swatted at her half-heartedly. Sirius swatted back, grabbing James's hand and pushing it away. She couldn't help noticing how pleasantly warm and sticky it was. She laughed, James laughed too. Sirius snatched the glasses off her nose.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Said James indignantly, trying to grab them. Sirius tried them on but they made her head hurt so she took them back off.

"Your vision is terrible." She snickered.

"You think I don't know? I'm blind as a bat over here." James said. "Come on- oh." She stopped as Sirius slid the glasses back onto her face. "Hello again."

"Are the pair of you finished?" Remus said. "McGonagall's giving you the evil eye over there."

"Is she?" James huffed. "That harpy never lets me have any fun."

"I thought she was your favourite teacher?" Said Sirius.

"She is, but- hey, it's Evans!" Sure enough, Evans and a gaggle of friends had just entered the pub. Snape was noticeably not among them.

"Evans!" Called James, loudly, hopping off her seat. She ruffled her hair nervously.

"Oh. It's you." Evans said, distaste written over her face. To her friends she said: "Can we go somewhere else?"

One of her friends, a short one who Sirius didn't know, said: "Why? We just got here." And turned back around to order at the bar.

"Evans, ever heard of a bloke named Byron?"

"'Course I have, what do you take me for?"

James ignored that. "Well, he wrote this poem, see-"

Remus said "This isn't the best time, James." But James ignored that as well.

James cleared her throat. "’She walks in Beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies / And all that's best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes / Thus mellowed to that tender light.' What d'you think of that, eh?"

Lily frowned. "It's nice, I suppose. Why are you asking?"

James also frowned, like she didn't know the answer to that question. Or even understand the question. "I don't know, it just reminds me of you is all." She said mutinously.

"Oh," Lily said, turning almost red as her hair. " _Oh_."

"Did you like it?" James said.

"No! I'm not-"

"I've got a poem for you too, Evans." Sirius said, jumping up as well. "'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun / Coral is far more red than her lips' red / If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun / If hairs be wires, ginger wires grow on her-‘"

"Leave me alone, the both of you." Lily said, and then to her friends. "I'm not feeling well, I'm going back up to the school." They seemed rather busy though, and didn't even hear her. Lily trembled slightly, then turned around and headed for the door.

James swore. "Oh, thanks a lot." She said, rounding on Sirius.

"What?" Sirius snapped back. "She's Evans, for Chrissakes. Not worth the bother if you ask me. Besides, she's clearly not interested."

"Oh, and you'd know all about that, would you?" James said, voice rising angrily.

"Alright, time to take this outside, you two." Remus interrupted. "McGonagall's looking this way." James didn't say a word to her, just grabbed her coat and Sirius's arm and stormed towards the door.

"Oh, and you'd know all about that, would you?" She said again as soon as they were outside.

"A sight more than you would, I reckon!" Sirius said. "Why do you even fancy her? She's insufferable."

"I don't bloody fancy her!" James said angrily. "You barely even know me! Who the fuck are you?"

Sirius felt like she'd been punched. "Fine," she said coldly. "Forget I said anything, then."

No longer meeting resistance, James's anger had no further outlet and she kicked the wall of the Three Broomsticks angrily. "Fuck!" She yelled. "Fuck me!"

Sirius was reminded of herself, that day when she'd been locked in her room and starved and suffocated. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, the apology strange in her mouth. "I was just having a laugh, that's all."

"God," James said hopelessly, turning and sinking onto the ground, her back against the wall. "Evans is never gonna like me, is she? Never. I'm just the most- the most repulsive-"

"You're not repulsive," Sirius said, bewildered, kneeling down in front of her. She had never seen James this way before. She suddenly hated Lily Evans for doing this.

"Easy for you to say. Look at you, you're perfect. Why can't I be like you? All... normal, and everything."

Several thoughts raced through Sirius's brain, chiefly: _perfect?_ "Who says I'm normal?"

"Your boyfriend Paul, I'd wager." James said with a forced laugh. She wiped at the tears that had collected under her glasses.  "Even you know it's wrong, about me. You know it. Say it!"

"Maybe it's everyone else who's wrong." Sirius said. "I know I was."

James looked up at her gratefully. "Thanks. I didn't mean it, earlier. About you not knowing me. Sorry."

"It's okay," Sirius said. She sat next to James, rested her head on James's shoulder.

"This is so stupid," James said. "I never let this stuff get to me. Never. I don't know why I just-"

Remus and Peter burst out of the pub, and stopped when they spotted them.

"James!" Said Remus. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," James said, getting to her feet. "But I need a real drink."

* * *

Sirius had decided, drunk or no, that James's laugh was one of the best sounds in the world.

They were in their dormitory, passing a flask of whiskey around and listening to the radio. James was lying on her back with her head in Sirius's lap, laughter still dying down, glasses slightly askew.

"Peter?" James called. "You alive?"

"Barely!" They heard Peter's voice from the bathroom, and that made James laugh again.

"God, she's going to be furious!" She said, biting her lip to keep from laughing more.

"Maybe we should clean it up." Remus said.

"Maybe there's not a chance in hell we're doing that," James said. "It's well funny, come on, Remus. Don't be a spoilsport."

Remus looked hesitant, but eventually conceded. "Well, alright." She said.

"It's her fault for putting her bed in the way," Sirius said.

"That makes absolutely no sense, but I agree." James said, beaming and reaching up to pat Sirius's cheek fondly.

Sirius distinctly saw Remus roll her eyes, but she ignored it.

"Okay," Peter said, coming out of the bathroom. She still looked a bit queasy. "I think I'm okay now."

"Good," James said. "If you feel like puking again, there's always Evans's bed as well."

"I'd rather not, if it's alright with you." Peter said. "In fact I think I'm gonna have a lie down." She climbed into bed, not bothering to change out of her uniform.

"It _is_ late," Remus said.

"Nonsense," James said, reaching for her hand. "The party's just begun."

"Then why is Peter asleep and you on the ground?"

"Peter's already asleep? Christ," James said, sitting up so she could see the gently snoring Peter. Sirius began to miss the weight of James's head on her thighs. "I can't believe she threw up all over Snape's bed. Poor dear."

"Peter or Snape?"

"Peter, of course. I couldn't care less about Snape. Or Evans, for that matter. Snobby, stuck-up little-" She flopped back down angrily.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other. They'd formed an unspoken agreement at the start of things to distract James at all costs from The Lily Thing.

"Just picture Snape's face when she comes in." Sirius said soothingly.

James grinned. "She's going to lose it, I swear."

Remus got up, went to the bathroom. They heard the sounds of running water and teeth being brushed.

"Looks like Remus is getting ready for bed," Sirius noted. "Are you tired?"

"No," James replied. "You?"

"No," Sirius said. James sat up again, turned to face Sirius, readjusting her glasses. Sirius had never felt wider awake in her life.

"You're a good friend," James said.

"Thanks. So are you." Sirius said.

"I-"

Remus came back out, wearing pyjamas. "I'm going to bed." She said. "Don't stay up too late. Goodnight."

"G'night," James said, then looked at Sirius.  She brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You're so beautiful. How do you do it?"

"Good genes, I guess." Sirius said with a shrug. She knew she was beautiful, but hearing it from James was nice.

"I mean, how do you do all of it? Staying so cool, all the time?"

"I don't. You should have seen me 'round my mum." Sirius said.

"But you just don't seem to care about things as much," James said. "At all, really."

"Most things just don't interest me, that's all." Sirius said.

James touched Sirius's chin, brushed her lower lip with the pad of her thumb. "Lucky."

"I-" Sirius swallowed. "I sort of lied about being tired earlier," she lied. "I'm exhausted, to tell you the truth. I think I'll turn in."

James shrugged, standing up unsteadily. "Yeah, me too." She said. "Goodnight, then."

James pulled off her clothes, and Sirius watched the various muscles in her back move as she lifted her arms to remove her shirt. She didn't bother looking for pyjamas but instead got into bed in only her underpants, letting her glasses fall onto the ground instead of the bedside table where she normally put them.

After a few minutes, Sirius did the same, wondering why she couldn't stop caring so bloody much.


End file.
